


speak now

by Viridiantly



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Extended Meet-Cute, F/M, Ficlet, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 05:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18684727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viridiantly/pseuds/Viridiantly
Summary: Rey has been orbiting this man for the entire semester. They go to the same coffee-shop, order the same drink (drip coffee), the same English class, and the same gym. They're not always at these places at the same time, but they often are. Their eyes often meet, and it's like having a friend you meet repeatedly, over and over, but they have never spoken to each other.





	speak now

Rey has been orbiting this man for the entire semester. They go to the same coffee-shop, order the same drink (drip coffee), the same English class, and the same gym. They're not always at these places at the same time, but they often are. Their eyes often meet, and it's like having a friend you meet repeatedly, over and over, but they have never spoken to each other. Ben (she saw his name on his coffee once) always has headphones in, and Rey doesn't have any reason to speak to him.

Well, maybe she does, but she hasn't said anything so far, and it seems like they've come to a silent agreement to not talk, just look.

She knows that he starts his day at the same time as she does, and gets coffee shortly after eight. She knows that he takes his coffee with milk and no sugar. She knows that he has been decreasing his weights at the gym recently, that he takes the neatest English notes, and that he is always alone, just as she is.

There is something comforting, in having a stranger to see every day, close enough to touch but never touching, to hear the sounds of their existence but to never speak.

Rey sometimes wonders what he really studies—they're in the same English class for non-majors, sometimes wonders what causes his dark circles, and sometimes wonders if they have more in common beyond the 8am coffee runs, the same afternoon English class, the same evening workouts.

She also wonders at their differences; he obviously has more money than she does, always dressed in understated but obviously well-made clothing, and he looks older than she is, but she wonders about his politics, his friends, his family. Surely they must come from very different backgrounds.

Their silent presence in each other's lives is something that Rey treasures; she cannot imagine that they will actually want to get to know each other since they have not done so already, but it is nice having someone to see every day, even if it is just to see.

So it is a surprise to her when he taps her on the shoulder at the cafe one day, and stretches his hand out.

"Hey, my name is Ben," he says, and she is startled for a moment because she thought that they had a silent agreement to never speak to each other.

"My name is Rey," she says, and shakes his hand. His grip is firm, and warm, and gentle.

"Hi Rey. It's nice to finally meet you," he says, and she thinks, _this is the way my name should always be said_. She thinks, _t_ _his is the greeting that I have been waiting for—the greeting of someone who has spent a long time wanting to speak to me._

"It's nice to finally meet you too," she says, because she has been wanting to speak to him for a long time too.


End file.
